Vegan Horchata Recipe (2024)

Homemade vegan horchata de arroz is a simple, super creamy and refreshing 5-ingredient Mexican rice milk drink with cinnamon and vanilla (+ flavor variations!) – perfect alongside spicy foods and on sunny days!

Looking for your next favorite summer beverage? It’s time to give this easy homemade horchata recipe a try! It’s creamy and sweet yet refreshing, nutty, cinnamon and vanilla-infused, and so easy to make with simple pantry staples.

What Is Horchata?

Horchata (pronounced or-CHAH-tah), or orxata, is an umbrella term for several types of homemade plant-milk beverages. This time, we’re referring to Mexican ‘Horchata de Arroz’ -aka with rice – and is a popular type of agua fresca (meaning ‘fresh water’, usually refers to a fruity water-based drink) – ‘agua de horchata’.

Vegan horchata is made with a base of white rice and water to make a creamy homemade rice milk, sweetened, and flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. Plus, we’ve made this naturally vegan horchata even creamier with the addition of extra (plant-based) milk.

What Does Vegan Horchata Taste Like?

With the combination of creamy rice milk, cinnamon, and vanilla, we think (and many agree) that this Mexican rice drink tastes a little like sweet rice pudding (arroz con leche) in a smooth, rich drink form. We’re all for that!

It’s a sweet and creamy, refreshing Mexican vegan milk drink perfect for drinking over ice during Summer and all year long. We especially love making horchata for special events like Cinco de Mayo, New Year’s, and on taco nights – alongside black bean tacos, sweet potato enchiladas, and Southwest stuffed peppers.

The Horchata Ingredients

• Rice: All-purpose long-grain white rice provides the most traditional horchata flavor, though you could use jasmine rice, basmati, or even brown rice.
• Water: To make up the ‘base’ for the homemade Mexican rice milk.
• Plant-based milk: For a creamier horchata drink, use your preferred dairy-free milk. i.e., almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, etc. For the creamiest results, use full-fat canned coconut milk or dairy-free evaporated milk.
• Cinnamon: Use fresh ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick (break it into smaller pieces, then leave it to soak in the rice mixture overnight to make it easier to blend).
• Sugar: We used regular sugar, though you can use coconut sugar, maple syrup, or even a sugar substitute (like erythritol) and adjust the amount to taste.
• Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla for the best flavored agua fresca horchata.

Horchata Flavor Variations

• Strawberry horchata: Add 1-1 ½ cups of strawberries to the mixture when blending.
• Matcha horchata: Blend matcha powder into the horchata rice milk mixture.
• Horchata latte: Top up a shot of espresso with this horchata instead of other milk.
• Chocolate horchata: Follow our recipe for vegan Mexican hot chocolate, using horchata instead of another dairy-free milk.
• Almond milk horchata: Make it creamier by adding slivered almonds (about ½ cup per 1 cup rice) or top it up with almond milk. Add more flavor with almond extract.
• Other spices: Add depth with cardamom, nutmeg, or make pumpkin spice horchata.

How to Make Vegan Horchata

Follow just four simple steps to make this delicious, easy horchata recipe!

• 1) First, rinse the rice to remove extra starch. Then combine the rice, water, and cinnamon in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy/milky (about 4 minutes).

• 2) Then leave it to soak in the refrigerator overnight.

This step is important as it helps to make it super milky the longer it sits. We don’t recommend skipping this ‘resting’ stage. You can even re-blend it after soaking for creamier horchata.

• 3) Pour the rice milk through a cheesecloth lined fine-mesh strainer or nut milk bag into a pitcher. Press/squeeze it well to extract maximum liquid.

• 4) Then, add the plant-based milk, sugar, and vanilla extract, mix well, and then taste and adjust (sweetness, vanilla, cinnamon, etc.).

We love to serve the agua de horchata chilled, over ice, with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon for a super refreshing drink during summer and alongside spicy meals. However, you can also enjoy it warm, if preferred (note the starches thicken the drink when warmed)!

FAQs

Pro Recipe Tips

• Blend it thoroughly: When ready, the Mexican cinnamon milk should be smooth and milky with just a slightly gritty texture. The rice needs to be broken down as much as possible to extract the most flavor.
• Leave it to soak: This step is really important to make the creamiest agua de horchata recipe. Some recipes soak the rice pre-blending, but we prefer to do so after.
• For the creamiest horchata: Blend it before AND after soaking.
• Strain it well: Otherwise the rice and cinnamon residue can make the Mexican rice milk a little ‘chalky’. You may need to strain it twice.
• Adjust the ratios: Not only by sweetening it to taste, but also by adjusting the amount of vanilla/cinnamon if preferred.

Storage Instructions

Store any prepared/leftover homemade horchata in an airtight container/jug in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, shaking it in-between servings.

Don’t leave it out of the refrigerator for more than an hour at a time, otherwise it will need to be discarded.

More Fun Vegan Drinks

• Refreshing mango bubble tea
• Matcha Boba Tea (Green Milk Tea)
• Basil Lemonade [+ Flavor Variations]
• Watermelon slushie
• Kale pineapple smoothie
• Orange creamsicle smoothie
• Vegan pumpkin spice latte

Or enjoy browsing our entire collection of budget-friendly vegan drink recipes!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla